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New Central Virginia Member!

webguydave

New member
Hi! I'm Dave Johnson, freshly retired ( from the West Coast ,now Charlottesville, Virginia!) and happliy back up on two wheels. I've logged tens of thousands of miles over the past 50 years or so, but took a _mandated_ break whilst the kids were young. Happy to be here, and sooo happy to be on a BMW after so many years of Hondas ( and the lone Norton)!
 
Welcome to the forum and BMWs, Dave! Nice riding country to the west and south of you!! You might already know Anton Largiader who is an independent wrench in your local area...very helpful!
 
Welcome to the forum and BMWs, Dave! Nice riding country to the west and south of you!! You might already know Anton Largiader who is an independent wrench in your local area...very helpful!

Thanks!! Given that the riding season apparently isn't year round, I'll have to get my butt in gear!
And nice to have a local wrench, being new to the BMW...

Dave
 
Thanks!! Given that the riding season apparently isn't year round, I'll have to get my butt in gear!
And nice to have a local wrench, being new to the BMW...

Dave

Welcome!

I wouldn’t say the riding season “isn’t year round.” If you’re coming from southern California, then it might be an adjustment. But year round riding is commonplace here. Yes it gets colder during winter months so you have to dress appropriately, and we get the occasional snowfall, but rarely does a week go by without a few decent riding days.

Every now and then we get an especially cold and snowy winter, but those are the exception not the rule.

You’re in a really nice location down there (I’m up in northern VA). Be sure to try Boda’s bagels if you haven’t already (they have drive-thru at some locations!)
 
Welcome from northeast Ohio, and from another old guy who took a long break from riding and returned to it by buying an R1150RT. GMTA. I can tell you from my experience that the RT will greatly expand your riding season. I ride year 'round so long as there's no snow or ice on the roads.
 
Welcome!

I wouldn’t say the riding season “isn’t year round.” If you’re coming from southern California, then it might be an adjustment. But year round riding is commonplace here. Yes it gets colder during winter months so you have to dress appropriately, and we get the occasional snowfall, but rarely does a week go by without a few decent riding days.

Every now and then we get an especially cold and snowy winter, but those are the exception not the rule.

You’re in a really nice location down there (I’m up in northern VA). Be sure to try Boda’s bagels if you haven’t already (they have drive-thru at some locations!)

Actually Central / Northern California - SoCal is just a mess of freeways ( I did graduate high school in Mission Viejo but in 1970, the roads were actually pretty clear of traffic!). But I've steered clear of snow/ice - gravel is bad enough!

The constant change of weather here is pretty amazing - seems like you can drive in and out of a cloudburst fairly regularly...

Dave
 
Welcome from northeast Ohio, and from another old guy who took a long break from riding and returned to it by buying an R1150RT. GMTA. I can tell you from my experience that the RT will greatly expand your riding season. I ride year 'round so long as there's no snow or ice on the roads.

Yep..there ya go..snow and ice! Being out in the sticks the two lanes (barely) are generally shaded and do indeed ice up, but the snow really has been minimal...

This bike was supposed to happen after I finished the house/garage/barn renovations but I've been working on those for the past year and this was bike fit the bill pretty much exactly...and was cheap to boot! So now I have another distraction... :)<P))

Dave
 
The constant change of weather here is pretty amazing - seems like you can drive in and out of a cloudburst fairly regularly...

Dave

Yes! Especially if you spend time up on Skyline Drive or Blue Ridge Parkway. You can be up there in a very local thunderstorm that doesn’t even show up on weather radar (radar shadows.)

But even in the Piedmont where you are, it can change quickly. Keep a weather eye!
 
Welcome from Newfoundland, you'd have to be very dedicated to ride year round here but I know a couple of people who have.
 
Dave, welcome from the coast of Kansas.

Your story sounds familiar to many of us: a young casual rider who takes a break to raise a family and then gets the itch and tries a motorcycle again. Some of those returning riders become addicts and put up scads of miles. Maybe you will also be like that. I am on my first--and only--BMW but rode for years after retirement on Japanese bikes of all brands and types. My advice is don't get stuck on only a single type bike (i.e., cruiser, tourer, sport, ADV, etc.). Try them all, they are all fun in different ways and you don't want to miss anything important in life.

Good luck.
 
Hi! I'm Dave Johnson, freshly retired ( from the West Coast ,now Charlottesville, Virginia!) and happliy back up on two wheels. I've logged tens of thousands of miles over the past 50 years or so, but took a _mandated_ break whilst the kids were young. Happy to be here, and sooo happy to be on a BMW after so many years of Hondas ( and the lone Norton)!

As others have said, Welcome! Welcome to BMW bikes, and welcome to the BMW MOA and our Forum. A good group here of very helpful people!
 
Welcome from Newfoundland, you'd have to be very dedicated to ride year round here but I know a couple of people who have.

Well...you know, when you have an itch, it feels good to scratch it!

Hoping to get to Newfoundland before too long....:)<))
 
Dave, welcome from the coast of Kansas.

Your story sounds familiar to many of us: a young casual rider who takes a break to raise a family and then gets the itch and tries a motorcycle again. Some of those returning riders become addicts and put up scads of miles. Maybe you will also be like that. I am on my first--and only--BMW but rode for years after retirement on Japanese bikes of all brands and types. My advice is don't get stuck on only a single type bike (i.e., cruiser, tourer, sport, ADV, etc.). Try them all, they are all fun in different ways and you don't want to miss anything important in life.

Good luck.

Thanks!! Nice to be able to have the time to tend to my many interests and not worry about cash flow on a weekly basis!

Looking back, my break in riding has been a good 20 years +!!! Those miles were largely commute miles - for perhaps 20 years or so between Santa Barbara to various points in SoCal, then later from the far South Bay (Gilroy, CA) towards SF....sometimes easy miles, sometimes not so much. And all those mostly on Hondas; loved the CX500 shaft twins, so much so that I rebuilt a couple over the years when Honda didn't provide a decent substitute / upgrade! Those twins are just little works of art! With bags and a tank bag, I could pack enough not to miss a car....

But gotta say - this particular R1150rt is about the smoothest, most comfortable ride I can remember ..and it fits me! :)<))
 
Yes! Especially if you spend time up on Skyline Drive or Blue Ridge Parkway. You can be up there in a very local thunderstorm that doesn’t even show up on weather radar (radar shadows.)

But even in the Piedmont where you are, it can change quickly. Keep a weather eye!

Looking forward to the Blue Ridge Parkway!! There's an entrance a short ( 30 miles?) distance, one of the places it crosses I64...though I understand a traffic ticket is pretty pricey!

And yep, shopping for a lightweight rain suit.....
 
Are you actually in Esmont? I know where that is. You have some great riding in that area.

Welll......insofar as the mail carrier is concerned, yes! Actually a bit west of the (very) small village of Esmont; Scottsville - 6 miles down the road on the James River - would serve as 'the big city'! :)

I see you're a bit south of Richmond; I've been up that way fetching old tractor parts - you have some nice backroads as well!

I've kinda drooled over the backroads here since the relocation - many not even worthy of a yellow stripe down the middle! And very few are a straight line from A to B; pretty much all terrain following and no road cuts..with lush greenery everywhere!

If only the rain would let up a bit...

Dave
 
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